Joy for Ferriby as dream disappears for Harrogate Town

HARROGATE Town missed out on a historic play-off final after drawing their second leg 1-1 at AFC Fylde yesterday.

Having lost the opening leg 1-0 on Wednesday, Sam Finley gave Town a mountain to climb with an 11th minute wonderstrike.

Dom Knowles gave Town a lifeline after slotting home at the back post four minutes later and Town had their chances to level matters but Fylde goalkeeper Matt Urwin made two good saves to keep them at bay.

Danny Rowe, Fylde’s hero from midweek, saw a late penalty sensationally stopped by Peter Crook but it mattered little for the hosts as they held on for victory over the two legs.

Fylde will face North Ferriby United away in the play-off final after the Hull side overturned a two-goal deficit by beating Boston United 3-0 at home yesterday.

The first goal was always likely to be crucial and Ferriby’s pressure paid-off after 11 minutes. Tom Denton was held by Carl Piergianni inside the area and Liam King sent Fabian Spiess the wrong way from the penalty spot.

Denton then raised Ferriby’s spirits even more after 16 minutes when he rose in the goal area to head home Adam Bolder’s right flank corner.

The Villagers then bagged the crucial third after 54 minutes when Danny Clarke latched on to a pass on the left and cut-in before clipping a precise shot in at the far post.

Ferriby manager Billy Heath beamed: “Everyone of the players was magnificent. We were a different team to the one that lost on Wednesday.

“We showed that we are a good team, a very good team. It was important to get the first goal and to get two in the first 15 minutes was tremendous.

“We will look forward to playing Fylde next weekend.

“It’s going to be tough but we’ve had a lot of highly-charged games over the last four seasons and we can hope that experience will stand us in good stead.”